Category Archives: michael bojda

Happy Playoffs! For over a month now we have been given the opportunity to watch one of the best playoffs in NBA history, and they all come to an end with this series. Here’s the schedule, and click after the jump to check out Blake and my series predictions.

With all this Osama news and many people flocking to conspiracy theories connecting the week’s events to the “New World Order” and the organization known as “Illuminati,” I bring you someone who has also been connected to Illuminati in the past. I won’t get into my personal beliefs, or explain the whole Tupac/Illuminati story (Google it), instead I give you “Troublesome ’96,” released on Pac’s Greatest Hits album.

Murder murder my mind states shit ain’t change since my last rhyme
The crime rate ain’t decline
Niggas bustin’ shots like they lost their mind
Like twenty-five to life never crossed their mind

Always one who chose substance over what was currently poppin’, Troublesome is no different. Tupac was one of the greatest ever, and he did so much more than just rap. A hood prophet who was always looking out for everyone around him, he accepted his “superstar” label and took it to a completely different level. RIP.

Here’s the date Blake was talking about. We saw Talib Kweli, member of Blackstar and a hip hop legend, at the Canopy Club in Urbana last Friday night. The show was great, with Talib playing most of The Beautiful Struggle (probably his best album top to bottom) and showing the crowd new songs from Gutter Rainbows and even an unreleased song with DJ/Producer 9th Wonder. The energy Talib brings to the stage is just about unmatched, and the live band that accompanied him was terrific. A top 3 hip hop show that I’ve been too.

The video is self recorded, so sorry if the quality isn’t the best… I got pretty excited when I heard the Lonely People track come on. Download here.

The lack of fashion posts probably makes you wonder why we include “fashion” in our blog description. Well, that’s on me, I promised to bring fashion to Chiside at least once a week, and I’ve failed to do so. And since Blake has trouble dressing himself, we can’t blame him for the lack of posts.

It’s a new day though, and from now on, be on the look out for a stronger effort from me in terms of covering fashion. I’ll post cool videos, stories, new lines coming out, anything I find. Feel free to give suggestions as well.

The post today is about the making of Nudie Jeans. Nudie specializes in raw and prewashed denim jeans, originating in Gothenburg, Sweden. The jeans are actually produced in Italy though, with denim fabrics coming in from the US, Japan, and Turkey. On the Nudie website, the production process is described as:

“Design goes beyond creating just a product that serves to fulfil a need or a function. The philosophy of Nudie Jeans is to become part of your dreams. Jeans have a natural built-in dream and attitude.”

Not really descriptive. But if you’re interested, here’s a video that details the whole process, start to finish. It’s insane to see the amount of specialization that is present all over the world, and the amount of work that goes into producing a single pair of jeans.

We Are Renegades (or W.A.R.) is the latest album released from the defiant MC, Pharoahe Monch. The album features a bunch of bangers, with Monch’s intricate and intelligent lyrics taking the front seat. You don’t see many people in today’s game with the complex lyrics and complex delivery (featuring Shakespearean like rhyme schemes that make you wonder why he didn’t become an english teacher) of Troy Jamerson. It’s refreshing listening to someone rap about resonant issues (such as the Cairo Protests and the misadventures many encounter in the less fortunate areas of the world).

The song, W.A.R., is one of my favorites on the CD. With features from underground legend Immortal Technique and number 66 on Rolling Stones all time greatest guitarists, Vernon Reid, the song gets you thinking about “limited freedom” towards certain groups of people and other ways the government is waging “a war against consciousness.” When Immortal Technique starts rapping I admit I get a little excited, after meeting him at Rock The Bells ’08 I could tell you he’s a real dude that’s not worried about pissing anybody off. Vernon Reid rips a solo towards the end of the song that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Listen to this song, and give the Queens MC some love, he’s been making quality music for almost 2 decades now.

Shouts to the hater Melvin Shabazz. Didn’t understand the whole “Derrick Rose just went off in the NBA playoffs and the Bulls started what should be an amazing, long journey-so I’m gonna post a song in which the chorus is ‘I am Number One'” thing I was trying to do, so my apologies.

ANYWAYS, todays song of the day goes to up and comers on the Chicago music scene, Filligar. The band includes brothers Johnny, Teddy, and Pete Mathias, along with Casey Gibson. This is one of my favorite bands currently, and if they’re ever in the town you are, they are a must-see live. Their music is a mix of a ton of different musical genres, so the best you could do is describe their sound as an eclectic-melodious-carefree-really good one. The rare ground between being like a coffee house soundtrack you want on at all times, to a rock band that finds you singing along with every word.

Can you tell who the non-Mathias is?

Won’t say too much more about them as I plan to do an “Artist Spotlight” in the upcoming week.

“Trepador” is from the bands 5th album, and is an anthem destined to get your foot tapping and head bobbing. Available for download here.